Men's basketball can't contain Buffalo in MAC title game rematch
Senior guard Rayshawn Simmons drives to the basket at McGuirk Arena on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016.
The Central Michigan and Buffalo men's basketball teams were missing their leading scorers for their game Saturday. One team, however, had plenty of offense.
CMU fell to the Bulls 74-61 at Alumni Arena in a rematch of last season's Mid-American Conference Championship game.
Junior guard Braylon Rayson did not travel with the team to New York as he returned to Texas to attend the funeral of his grandmother, who passed away last week. The Chippewas scored the lowest points in a game this season Saturday without Rayson, who averages 17.4 points per game.
Buffalo was without sophomore guard Lamonte Bearden, who sat out Saturday's contest with a foot injury. Bearden leads UB offensively with 12.9 points per game.
The Chippewas trailed 53-42 midway through the second half when senior Chris Fowler scored to cut the deficit to nine. On the proceeding Buffalo inbound, the ball was stolen by sophomore guard Josh Kozinski, whose basket made it a 53-46 game.
Fowler scored again before a controversial call on the other end gave the ball back to CMU. Officials ruled a ball that went out of bounds went off of Buffalo, while fans clamored for UB to have the possession. Senior guard Rayshawn Simmons converted a pair of layups to put the game within two, 54-52.
The Bulls, however followed up with a 13-0 run. Several Buffalo trips to the free-throw line put the game out of reach, preventing a CMU comeback.
Simmons led CMU with 14 points, while Kozinski and Fowler had 12 each. Fowler did not score until there was less than three minutes remaining in the first half and it was his only bucket in the half.
The Bulls had three players in double figures and were led by senior guard Jarryn Skeete. Buffalo's floor general had 13 points and 12 assists.
Buffalo dominated the game as there were only two lead changes and zero ties. CMU's largest lead was by four with 12:31 to play in the first half.
The Chippewas shot 36 percent from the floor and were 7-of-27 from the 3-point line. Buffalo committed 18 turnovers but outrebounded CMU 44-30.
CMU has now lost two straight to the Bulls, who downed the Chippewas 89-84 in the MAC title game in Cleveland, Ohio, last March to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
Rayson will return to the team in Buffalo before the Chippewas travel to DeKalb, Illinois to take on Northern Illinois at 8 p.m. EST Tuesday.
